


Never Too Late

by lachoy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 20:43:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5389589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lachoy/pseuds/lachoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes dreams took sacrifices and the comfort he felt now being who he was supposed to be was not something he would ever change. Not ever. But maybe he hadn't gone about it the right way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Too Late

Making his way back to the familiar houses, Mettaton didn't know why he had put this off for so long. Of course guilt had played a large role in the absurd amount of time but it was really no excuse. And yes, he had been busy, but still no excuse. 

Things were going to be changing soon. If that human won or Asgore did, it didn't matter. Mettaton had a hunch that the barrier would be going away momentarily and that human wouldn't let things stay as they were. Something about them made Mettaton believe in them and so he did.

But if things were going to be changing then he needed to solve one last problem and he should have done it a long time ago.

Seeing that pink house, Mettaton was surprised that it filled him with nostalgia that wasn't entirely negative. Obviously his time as a ghost hadn't been all bad. He'd had his cousins and even if running a snail farm had been the last thing he'd wanted to do, being with all of them had been fun. It just had never been enough. Along with those memories are the feelings. How many times had he looked at himself and thought it was all wrong? That this wasn't supposed to be his body and this wasn't supposed to be his life? And he hadn't been incorrect. He had been destined for bigger things.

Sometimes dreams took sacrifices and the comfort he felt now being who he was supposed to be was not something he would ever change. Not ever. But maybe he hadn't gone about it the right way.

The key to his old house had been lost long ago. He had no idea where he could have dropped it and spying through his window, he could see that nobody had robbed him. Not that there would have been much to steal. Unless someone wanted to read his diaries? They could probably be some bad publicity but he doubted anybody would connect the dots. Who would have ever thought the famous and wonderful Mettaton had once been a simple ghostly snail farmer? Nobody.

“Oh...wow. Wow. It's...”

Mettaton looks to his left and some part of him feels like he should just go over there and hug them. It's Blooky and that's only natural. But to Napstablook, he's not that same person. He's Mettaton, the star. Not his family.

“Why hello, darling!” Mettaton immediately starts up his usual antics and goes up to Napstablook, fabulously posing as he does. Not since his debut has he ever felt this nervous and even that doesn't compare to this. This is ten times the anxiety.

“You're Mettaton,” Napstablook says, eyes wide. “I didn't think I'd ever meet you. Since, you know, you're Mettaton and I don't think a monster like you would want to visit here? Unless you want to bet on the snails? Um, I don't think you'd want to. But I could be wrong. I'm wrong a lot, actually.”

Was Napstablook always this full of self-loathing? It hurts to hear him because Mettaton swears it wasn't always this bad. Maybe because he'd always been there to make Napstablook feel better.

“I came to see you actually! You called my program, right?”

“Oh no. I'm sorry. I probably ruined it. I shouldn't have called. Do you want me to do something to make up for it? Um, I don't have much. I have what's in my house and...oh, it isn't much at all. Oh no...”

“No, no, no. Oh, honey. You're fine. I just wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?”

“I'm not really interesting to talk to, though.”

He really shouldn't have gone so long without saying anything to Napstablook, Mettaton thinks. But he'd felt guilty and embarrassed and well, he was always selfish. But this was how bad his cousin was now and it fills Mettaton with grief.

“Oh, Blooky. Blooky, I'm so sorry.”

That gives Napstablook a moment of confusion. “Did you call me...but only...”

“It's me. Can't you see? It's _me_.” He looks earnestly to his cousin, his eyes begging for the other to recognize him in a body he doesn't actually know. But the idea of Napstablook not knowing who he is seems so much more scary than Napstablook being angry. 

He does, though. “I thought...oh, wow...my cousin is Mettaton...”

Mettaton laughs, more nervously than anything. “I achieved my dreams.”

To his surprise, Napstablook smiles. “I'm happy. And um, I'm not just saying that. I kind of, uh, always thought you were just saying you wouldn't leave to make me happy because you really wanted to be a star. I guess I wasn't surprised when you left.”

“I shouldn't have left like I did, Blooky. And I should have never kept you in the dark, with no contact or anything. It was wrong of me.” He'd always been a prideful monster, even struggling to apologize as a ghost, but for Napstablook he could do this. And without any struggle because he owed them to some people and Napstablook definitely needed one most of all. “I suppose I just didn't want to tell you I was leaving you. It seemed easier to leave without saying anything. You could say I was a coward.”

“I wouldn't say that,” Napstablook replies. “You just didn't want to say good-bye and I understand because I didn't really want to either, but I kind of had to anyway...”

His heart is breaking and Napstablook has not said they forgive Mettaton. Actually, they haven't really reacted and Mettaton needs them to. Any reaction would do. Anger would be okay as long as it was what Napstablook was feeling. 

“I don't expect you to forgive me,” Mettaton says. “I don't expect you to still want me to be apart of your life. If you're angry at me then it's understandable, dear. But I did want to come here and tell you how sorry I am.” And to hopefully have his cousin back in his life because he hadn't realized how much he missed them until he'd heard their voice over the phone. How couldn't he have known until then?

It takes a moment for Napstablook to say anything as they float there just staring at Mettaton like they're trying to think of what to say. Mettaton almost wants to beg for them to say something soon, anything, but he keeps quiet. It isn't his time to speak.

“Well,” Napstablook finally says. “I'm not angry. Hurt maybe? I thought maybe you didn't want me in your life anymore and maybe that was sort of true? But oh, I guess you could have been busy. Being a star must be a lot of work and you were always doing something...”

“It wasn't that I didn't want you in my life, honey!” Mettaton cries out and he can't help being dramatic. The fact he made Napstablook think that was wrong and his cousin deserved better. If he could then he would do better, he wouldn't ever let Napstablook feel unwanted again. “That was never it. If that was the truth then I wouldn't be here now. I was afraid and ashamed and I was awful. Instead of wanting to face that I wasn't being right to you I avoided it. But I never should have done that, Blooky. You didn't deserve it, but if I can then could I make it right? Can I be your cousin again?”

Suddenly there were tears falling from Napstablook's eyes and Mettaton wanted to make it better, but he knew those tears would hurt him and Alphys had just repaired this body. She didn't need to make more repairs. “I-I don't think you could stop being my cousin. Unless because you're a robot now then that means you aren't related to me anymore? I guess...you might have to be allowed to be my cousin again and oh, I'm crying too much but I think it's because I'm happy, but it's hard to talk like this...”

Mettaton would have started crying if Alphys had ever finished the tear ducts in this form so all he could do was smile. “Stop taking me so literally and let me hug you. But that will require you to stop crying because I can't let this body be hurt again.”

“Oh, oh, I'm sorry. I'll try to stop soon but they aren't stopping...”

Deciding the damage is worth it, Mettaton hugged them to him anyway and laughed. Hugging as a ghost had been different, but Napstablook hadn't changed and that was what mattered.

“Do you want to see the snails?” Napstablook asks after a moment or two and it makes Mettaton laugh.

“Maybe later. My hugging quotient hasn't been met.” And he didn't think it would be for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> When will I be free from this hell? The answer is never. I never will be.


End file.
